1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the handling of electrical wires and their insertion into the wire-receiving portion of an electrical terminal. Normally the apparatus which embodies this invention is used with multi-contact connectors containing two rows of terminals with outwardly facing wire-receiving portions. Such connectors are commonly attached to multi-conductor telephone cables.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Apparatus emboding this invention can be used to attach wires to connectors such as that disclosed and claimed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,760,335. Such apparatus can also be used with numerous similar connectors. The instant invention comprises a modification of that disclosed and claimed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,766,622. That apparatus employed a centrally located connector carriage. Two reciprocal inserters attached wires to terminals located in a connector positioned on this carriage. The carriage indexed the connector past the inserters so that all of the terminals were sequentially aligned with the inserters. A cable containing a plurality of wires was positioned above the carriage. A pair of wires could be selected from this cable and one wire could be placed on each side of the connector in line with the appropriate inserter. The operator then brought the wires into contact with precisely positioned switches located below and on each side of the carriage. When the wires contacted these switches, the wires are under tension and proper alignment of the wire, inserter and terminal wire-receiving portion was assured. The inserters could then insert the wire into the terminal. A movable shearing edge on the inserter engaged a fixed shearing edge to sever each wire between the terminal and the switch.